Related topics: brain · perception · anxiety

New pilot study enhances understanding of situational fear

Research from experts at City, University of London's Department of Sociology and Criminology suggests that although women students feel largely safe while on campus, universities have a responsibility that extends beyond ...

Is 'fear' driving bias in environmental scholarship?

Scientists understand that fear of predation affects animal behavior within landscapes. Now, Yale School of the Environment researchers are using a similar hypothesis—which they are calling "social-ecological landscapes ...

Managing Washington's gray wolf population—through fear

The high-profile reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995 is generally considered a conservation success: Gray wolf packs inside and outside the park gradually established new populations. In Washington, ...

High incarceration rates may not help US citizens feel safer

The U.S. is the world leader in incarceration rates, spending $80 billion a year to imprison 2 million people. But despite these practices aiming to help Americans feel safer, a new Penn State study suggests they may not ...

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Fear

Fear is an emotional response to threats and danger. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of pain. Psychologists John B. Watson, Robert Plutchik, and Paul Ekman have suggested that fear is one of a small set of basic or innate emotions. This set also includes such emotions as joy, sadness, and anger. Fear should be distinguished from the related emotional state of anxiety, which typically occurs without any external threat. Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats which are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable. Worth noting is that fear always relates to future events, such as worsening of a situation, or continuation of a situation that is unacceptable.

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